The library is actually a box of 30 to 50 books geared toward children from pre-kindergarten to eight grade and sits near the front door of Brooklyn Elementary School. Conceived by the Brooklyn Town Library Association and funded primarily by the Friends of Brooklyn Library, the box is part of a national movement.

“Our library cannot hold a children’s program,” said Wendy Harrington, president of the association and a paraprofessional at the school. “This seemed like another way to serve children.”

Brooklyn’s town library is very small, with little room for an adult to move around the facility in some places and no room for any group activities. While ideas of building a new library or moving the existing library have floated in town for more than a decade, the library remains as is.

Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization promoting the idea that little libraries can connect communities. There are hundreds of Little Free Libraries all across the United States, but only seven registered in Connecticut. The box in Brooklyn is the first in Windham or New London counties. It will soon be on the national organization’s map of tiny library boxes.

Marc Quevillon , a long-time technology education teacher at Brooklyn Middle School, built the box, Harrington said and donated many hours of his time to complete the project.

Harrington said the box was filled initially with donations from several teachers, the school librarian and an anonymous donor, but will be self-sustaining from now on. Users take a book and leave a book, ensuring the collection is constantly renewed.

“You can’t really steal a free book, can you?” Harrington said.

Principal Fran Rotella said she was concerned the box might not be replenished.

“Every morning I see a few kids get off the buses and run over to the box,” Rotella said. They pick a book and put a new one in. And there’s a really nice selection of books.”

The Little Free Library was originally planned for the middle school. But Harrington said Superintendent Louise Berry suggested the elementary school would be a better environment.

Rotella and Harrington believe the box will get regular use through the summer thanks to the frequent use of the school grounds.

“This offers them the freedom to come and go and get a book when they want one,” Rotella said.

Harrington said the association is planning a second box, this one geared for adults.

“We have some ideas of where we might want to place another one,” Harrington said. “We want to get the community more involved this time.”